Nov. 22, 2005
Twenty-seven former Columbia Lions and one former coach will be inducted as members of the inaugural class of the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame.
The inaugural group will be inducted at a special ceremony in Low Memorial Library on the Columbia University Morningside Campus in February. Also to be honored will be one of Columbia's Ivy League championship teams, as well as an individual for his special contributions to the Columbia athletics program. The inductees have been selected by a vote of a selection committee of the Columbia University Varsity C Letterwinners' Club.
"This is a glorious moment in the history of Columbia Athletics," says Dr. M. Dianne Murphy, the director of intercollegiate athletics and physical education at Columbia. "The history of the Columbia Athletics program has included some of the best and brightest in the world. We are proud to honor the heritage of the great men and women who have competed wearing the Columbia Blue and White, and who have made significant contributions to the University."
Columbia University has fielded teams for intercollegiate athletics competition since the mid-1800s - some records indicate that the first intercollegiate sporting event in which Columbia was a participant was a rowing race in New York City in 1852.
Columbia's athletics program has featured some of the most notable names in American sports history. Among the members of the inaugural class of the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame are baseball Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig 1921-23CC and Eddie Collins 1907CC, college football legends Sid Luckman '39CC and Lou Little (head coach), as well as former Olympic Gold Medalist Swimmer and Honda-Broderick award winner Cristina Teuscher '00CC.
The inaugural class of the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame includes 21 men, seven women and one team representing eight different sports. The sports represented (number of individual former student-athlete inductees) are: Football (9), Basketball (4), Fencing (3), Baseball (3), Swimming and Diving (3), Soccer (2), Track & Field/Cross-Country (2) and Wrestling (2).
Nominees for the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame were submitted by the general public from July-September 2005. Inductees are eligible in the following categories: Category 1: Former Male Student-athlete - Heritage Era (1852-1952), Category 2: Former Male Student-athlete - Modern Era (1952-present), Category 3: Former Female Student-athlete, Category 4: Coaches, Category 5: Teams, Category 6: Athletics Administrators, Category 7: Special Category for Individual Achievement. More than 200 nominations were submitted for consideration.
The inaugural class of the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame will be inducted at a black-tie ceremonial banquet to be held on campus in the Rotunda of Low Memorial Library on February 18, 2006, and recognized at halftime of the Columbia-Princeton men's basketball game later that evening.
Tickets to the Induction Ceremony and Dinner are available by calling Michelle Maguire at (212) 854-2781. Media members may contact Todd Kennedy at (212) 854-7141 or tk149@columbia.edu for information regarding press credentials to the recognition ceremony at the Columbia-Princeton basketball game.
The members of the Inaugural Class of the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame are:
Former Male Student-athletes - Heritage Era (1852-1952)
Eddie Collins (Baseball 1904-07), Lou Gehrig (Baseball 1923), George Gregory (Basketball 1928-31), Paul Governali (Football 1940-42), Ben Johnson (Track and Field 1935-38), Lou Kusserow (Football 1945-48), Sid Luckman (Football 1936-38), Cliff Montgomery (Football 1931-33), Nat Pendleton (Wrestling 1911-15) and Bill Swiacki (Football 1946-47)
Former Male Student-athletes - Modern Era (1952-Present)
Tony Corbisiero (Swimming 1979-83), Chet Forte (Basketball 1954-57), Dave Galdi (Wrestling 1978-82), Gene Larkin (Baseball 1981-84), Jim McMillian (Basketball 1967-70), Barry Nix (Soccer 1978-81), Jon Normile (Fencing 1985-89), Archie Roberts (Football 1962-64; Baseball 1963-65), Marcellus Wiley (Football 1993-94, 1996) and John Witkowski (Football 1981-83)
Former Female Student-athletes
Caitlin "Katy" Bilodeaux (Fencing 1983-87), Elizabeth "Tosh" Forde (Soccer 1995-98), Ula Lysniak (Basketball 1984-87), Devon Martin (Track and Field 1986-90), Lisa Piazza (Fencing 1982-85), Tina Steck (Diving 1976-80), and Cristina Teuscher (Swimming 1996-2000)
Coach
Lou Little (Head Coach, Football 1930-56)
Team
1967-68 Men's Basketball
Special Category for Individual Achievement
Connie Maniatty
To download a ticket order form for the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame Inaugural Induction Ceremony: Click Here (adobe .pdf format)
